Things To Look For When Buying A New Home

Buying a home is an exciting time for anyone that’s never done it before. In your mind the possibilities are endless on what you can do with your new home, and it’s a great feeling to get to that stage in life where you can afford to buy your own property. Before you buy anything, make sure that you’re clued up on what you should be looking for when viewing a property. In this article are going to be some of the things that you should look for when buying a new home.

Price

First and foremost, you will need to set yourself a budget on what you can afford to repay as a mortgage. Even though it would be amazing to move into a mansion for your first home, the repayments would probably cost you more than your monthly income. That is if you could even afford the deposit on the property. Be realistic and speak to a mortgage advisor on how much you could ideally afford and then you will know what kind of property to go for.

Another thing that you should be wary of, is that some people tend to put the price of their homes higher than they are worth so that they can make a large profit when it sells. If you find a property that you love, try talking the price down because most people will jump at the chance of a sale.

Layout

An important factor to take into consideration is how the property is laid out. For example, if you have large pieces of furniture that you will be moving into the property, small and oddly shaped rooms won’t be ideal for you to move into. Make sure that when you’re viewing a house you take some measurements of your furniture so that you can imagine where you would put your belongings.

Think about whether you’re looking for a home that’s going to be practical as well as a home. For example, if you live in an area that’s prone to flooding, make sure that the home you’re buying is flood proof. Take a look at a modern house plan which would give you an idea on what sort of property you want, especially if you are after a modern house with solar panels, or you’d like to go for a more contemporary look with your home.

Damage

Every property is bound to have some sort of damage (unless you’re buying a brand new property) so when you’re viewing a place, be sure to have a good look around for any repairs that you might need to make.

Things like mold and damage to the walls are often hidden by pieces of artwork or painted over. Get yourself clued up on what to look for when it comes to viewing a property because if you miss it and buy the property you could be landed with a massive repair bill to get your new home back up to scratch.

One thing that many homebuyers do is to negotiate with the current owners on either price or repair. This way you will have some of the price knocked off so that you can make the repairs, or they will make the repairs before moving out of the property. If the property that you want is in disrepair, consider asking the current owners for a deal like this.

Garden

When you’re considering a move, make sure that you think about whether a garden is important for your needs. If it is, then when you’re viewing potential homes make sure that you’ve got a large enough space to do what you need to do, or at least have the potential to become what you’ve dreamed of. Again, if the garden isn’t up to scratch, or it has a lot of work that needs doing on it like removal of rubbish and debris, then consider speaking to the current owners about a drop in price or asking them to remove their rubbish before leaving.

If you drive, it might be worth seeing if there is a garage or any space to create a driveway for your car. Doing this will save you money in the long run because a car that’s parked off the road will have lower insurance quotes.

Interior

Once you’re satisfied that the property will be large enough for you to live in, and you can see yourself living there, the next step to take is looking at how much storage space there is. The reason that the rooms might look large is because of the lack of cupboard space. Even if you don’t currently own many things that will need to be stored, over time you will accrue many things that you will need the storage space for. If the property doesn’t have much storage space, then that will be something else that you will need to do when you move in, so make sure to take measurements down and have an idea of where you can build this storage space.

Take a look at rooms like the kitchen and bathroom to see if they are in need of an upgrade in any way. Although you might not be able to talk the owners into doing this before you move in, you will at least have an idea of what needs to be done when the property is yours. It might even help you make the decision on whether to buy the property or not. If you can’t see yourself being able to afford to make these repairs, then it’s likely that you’ve aimed too high with your price range.

Amenities

When you’re looking around a potential property, be sure to ask the person showing you around about the local amenities if you’re not familiar with the area. Are there any shops, schools, and public transport nearby? If the property is in a remote area think about how difficult it would be to commute to work, go grocery shopping and taking your children (or any future children) to school.

Neighbors

Asking the current owners what the neighbors are like will save you a massive shock when it comes to moving in. The last thing you want if you’re moving into a new home that you’ve been saving for, is to have noisy, rude and disruptive neighbors. Try and do some research on the area before viewing a property. Ask family or friends for opinions or if they know anyone who lives on that street so that you can find out what it’s like to live there.

It might not even be the neighbors that cause all of the noise. If the property is on a main road it’s likely that the sound of traffic would be heard in your home. Or if you live close to a local bar or club you’d probably hear people going in and out of the premises. If this isn’t something that you think you could live with, then choosing a quieter area to live would be the best option for you.

As you can see, there are a lot of different things to think about before choosing a property to buy. Remember to go with your heart in the ultimate decision and pick the place that your gut tells you to go for. Enjoy your new home!